Fastpitch friendly Quad Cities hosting 2014 NAFA World Series

Fastpitch friendly Quad Cities hosting 2014 NAFA World Series

DAYTON, ORE – The Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois hold a long and distinguished reputation for hosting quality men’s national fastpitch softball tournaments.

The International Softball Congress (ISC) has chosen the Quad Cities several times for its World Tournaments, including 2013.

And now the North American Fastpitch Association (NAFA) will hold its World Series in the Quad Cities in 2014.

“We love the central geographic location and felt it was the right choice for our teams,” said NAFA Executive Director Benjie Hedgecock. “It gives our teams a great city and a great host with great fields.”

Annually since 1993, over 120 teams come together in August to compete for NAFA World Series championships in five divisions.

Hedgecock added that NAFA was approached by the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, and after an evaluation, the NAFA Executive Committee decided this was an ideal destination for NAFA, its players and teams, and for fastpitch fans.

“We evaluated them and compared them to our other top cities of Rockford and Topeka, “Hedgecock said, “and decided that moving north from Topeka, Kansas in 2012, to Des Moines, Iowa in 2013, and to the Quad Cities in 2014 is a nice progression for our teams.

“The Quad Cities have great softball fields and we’ve gotten great support from the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau,” added Hedgecock. “The CVB’s Lynn Hunt, (vice president of sales, Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau) has been great to work with, and as a first time host, this is good central location in the Midwest for our teams.”

The cities of Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline, Ill. have quality softball facilities including the Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline. It consistently hosts state and national softball tournaments for the ASA and ISC.

And in 2014, NAFA teams will take to the softball diamonds and compete for World Series titles in a new and exciting location – the Quad Cities.

“Our teams asked for a new first-time city and we listened,” Hedgecock said.